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Beyonce’s new release not twice as nice
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First it was Britney Spears. Now it seems Beyoncé Knowles has also flung herself off the deep end of the crazy cliff. Well, not quite. But the singer’s latest, I Am… Sasha Fierce, introduces the world to Beyoncé’s saucy other personality — as if the sultry former child of destiny wasn’t feisty enough.
Split between two discs, one titled I Am…, which, naturally, represents the singer herself, and the other, Sasha Fierce, is certainly an attempt to thoroughly examine the singer’s inner desires. In the end, however, neither album fully grasps the concept it tries to reach, and I Am… Sasha Fierce is somewhat schizophrenic.
In an attempt to fully explore the duality of Beyoncé’s character, both albums grasp to stay within their respective personas, and the result is stagnation. “Broken-Hearted Girl,” just one of many emotional ballads on I Am…, never reaches the emotional heights it aims at. The constant plunking of a single piano key interjected with similar synth lines hints at a momentous climax, but it never happens, and listeners are left disappointed.
Likewise for some tracks on the Sasha Fierce side. Album closer “Video Phone” over-employs the constant current of synth that runs through the entirety of this second disc. On this track, as the singer does on the entire second album, Beyoncé plays up her sexuality, but it just comes off as forced. Sure, this may be the same Beyoncé who sang “Bootylicious” with Destiny’s Child, but lyrics like “Tape me on your video phone/ I can handle you” are too ridiculous to ignore.
Aside from these musical missteps, some of the choices made here are just plain confusing. Did producers honestly think they could rip off Rihanna? Certainly they must have, considering songs like “Radio” — which sounds uncannily like the Barbadian singer’s “Shut Up and Drive” — and “Diva” sound like they’ve come straight from the 20-year-old’s playbook. Besides, it’s pretty hard to pull the wool over the public’s eyes when you’ve got two of Rihanna’s producers, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream who together wrote the uber-successful “Umbrella,” aiding in the album’s production.
Still, credit must also go to Beyoncé, who not only offers some of her most gritty and captivating vocals to date but also co-wrote all but one track on the album. Regrettably, this one track (from I Am…), “If I Were a Boy,” the album’s lead single along with “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It),” is the album’s best.
In the end, “to thine own self be true” should have been the singer’s guiding principle on this album. Despites its stumbling points, I Am… far outpaces Sasha Fierce in depth and sheer beauty. In the end, it’s when Beyoncé settles on one personality on I Am… Sasha Fierce that she truly shines.
2 1/2 stars out of 5
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I am…such a farce! Yeah, that should’ve been the title.
wats up beyounce wat u doin and my name is kamrie hitt me up @ 817-729-2228 duces and like da new song single ladies and if i were a boy byeeeeeeeeeeeee
I just have to say I completely disagree with whomever wrote this. I find Beyonce’s album to be amazing. I like the first disc (I AM) the best. “Broken Hearted Girl” is one of my favorites. I find this song to be full of emotion and sincerity. “Halo” is amazing. “Dissapear” has a vibe that kinda makes you feel like you’re gliding. “Satellites” gives me the impression that she’s crying, kinda remids you of Janet Jackson “Again” towards the end. i think this is definately about her and Jay. “If I were A Boy” is one of the deepest songs I’ve heard, and Bey sings this song spectacularly; it touches my soul as a man. “Smash Into You” is a song that can apply to a lover, family, but for me it sounds like a christian song. This song is probably my fav on the I Am cd. Anybody reading this article, trust me, you don’t wanna miss out on such an amazing album due to the opinions of the writer. The second portion of this album, Sasha Fierce, only really gets fierce on tracks: Diva (Lil wayne “A Milli” cover), Single Ladies (best dance video out), “Sweet Dreams” (kinda has a mid-tempo groove), “Video Phone” (this song has the craziest beat, and Beyonce rides it beautifully with her voice: makes you wanna buy a video phone. Other tracks like “Hello” and “Scared of Lonley” sound more like ballads. These two tracks are awesome. The only track I don’t particulary care too much for is “That’s Why you’re beautiful.” 15/16 is a great buy to me. 93%=A in my book. Way to go Beyonce.
I totally agree with Kelly Dalton. This album is the best of the year, to me. I dont think the writer of this article was listening to the same CD as me. I cant stop listening to it.
Beyonce could have done better!
I most definately agree with Kelly Dalton. It’s such an amazing CD. The writer of this needs to listen to it a second time.
I disagree with Kelly Dalton because….Beyonce sucks balls!